Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-04-22
Thousands of Dollars More
Damage.

0 AAAe5Ns
ST. CLAIRsvILLE, o, April 18.-
The rain to-day completed the work
of desolatioE begun by Friday after
Moons cyclone. The tornado lasted
half a minute, but the marks of its
fury St. Clairsville will wear forever.
The houses left roofess by the storm
have been drenched and soaked by
the persistent drizzle, and it is esti-
mated that to-day will add many
thousand dollars of damage to the
great loss that the town has already
suffered. Only the Methodists held
religious service yesterday and few
attended. The people were too busy
preparing for the much dreaded but
unexpected rain. Everybody seemed
to be at work.
The pastor set the example for the
people in the work of necessity and
/ ercy and the sound of the saw and
hammer became monotonous before
the day was over. The deacons and
elders put on their working clothes.
and a colored campmeeting exhorter
once more shouldered his hod.
The sightseers were numerous.
Two special trains were run from
Wheeling over the B. & O., and pto-
pie drove from every direction,
Early this morning work was re-
sumed, and a dozen or more houses
were put under cover The streets
still had the same forlorn look. Heaps
of bricks. mortar and lath, sections of
tin roofing, shattered wagon bed,
broken cart wheels, and here and
there bit of furniture that the wind
had waited from its rightful cwner,
are common sights. The ruin of the
United Presbyterian Church is COM
plete; not single wall remains
standing. On Marietta street, the
Presbyterian Church is almost dis
mantled. The roof was ripped off
and the naked raflers furnished no
protection to the cushioned pews and
hymn books. The walls were crack
ed and the tower was totteriDg. The
building is unsafe
The ravages of the cyclone will be
put at about 100000 Indeed the
real damage cannot be gotten at
even approximately-for walls have
been slightly twisted and houses
have been wrenched that will not be
discovered until the excitement is all
over
Some stories of the fantastic freaks
of the tempest are told. Mrs. John
w. Coleman, living on the National
road, three quarters of mile west of
town, noticed the approach Of the cy-
clone in time to get some of her chill
dren and run out of their two story
frame house. The baby in the cradle
was missed. In an instant the house
was struck, and in another the
weather boarding was splintered into
convenient size for tooth-picks for a
cyclops. The terror-stricken mother
FASTENED to the ruins in the lull that
followed, and her joy was intense
when she found the baby peacefully
sleeping in its cradle amid the debris.
VIM. Kiger, Sr, section boss on
the Bellaire Il St. CIairsville railroad,
with some other hands, saw the COM
ing storm. His companions ran in a
coal bank, but Kiger remained outside.
He was picked up, bounced along,
tossed around and left breathless in
the middle Of field quarter of
mile away.
Superintendent Waters, of the
public schools, in the interest of me-
teorological science stood in the front
door during the storms progress. The
door banged violently, he was scoop
ed up and rolled over and over until
a friendly fence headed hin off.
1T CAUGHT THE MINIsTER.
They tell it that Mr.. Haskell, the
Methodist minister, was conducting
a prayer meeting during that after
noon. He heard the awful rumble
and roar and called upon o brother to
pray. While they reverently bowed
their heads behind the peWs, he Slip
ped out to see what was wrong. The
breeze hurried him down the street at
q rapid gait also.
A section Of corrugated iron roof
from JAS. f. Frazier's barn was pick
ed up on Alex Mayors farm, one mile
and half away.
The fair grounds of the Belmont
County Agricultural Society, the
most beautiful in Eastern Ohio, are a
total wreck Every tree was pros
tratei and the buildings and fences
were shattered Mrs. Elizabeth
Johnston's cottage, in the very midst
Of the falling timbers alone escaped,
and she is ready to match pennies with
President Cleveland for luck.
From tie Riley homestead COM
pletely destroyed. John w. Riley
dragged his aged mother and led her
to an adjoining tree. The wind
whirled them around and around the